The English Team Claims 9th Consecutive Victory Against Physical Fijian Side

Quilter Nations Series

England (14) 38

Tries: Cowan-Dickie, Feyi-Waboso, Genge, George, Arundell, Itoje Cons: F Smith 5

Fiji (13) 18

Tries: Ikanivere 2, Muntz Pen: Muntz

The English squad scored four tries after halftime to beat a physical Fiji side in their latest fall test match.

The victory lengthens Steve Borthwick's side's winning run to nine games and supports their triumph over the Wallabies last Saturday.

The home side got on the board first through Luke Cowan-Dickie before Fiji responded with scores by Ikanivere and Caleb Muntz.

Number ten Muntz failed to convert either try but slotted a penalty to take the visitors further clear before Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scored.

Ellis Genge and Ikanivere then traded scores to spark an entertaining final forty minutes.

Replacements Jamie George and Arundell, who displayed his blistering speed, finished off tries to take the hosts clear.

These tries came either side of Fijian halfback Kuruvoli spilling the ball when going for the tryline.

Skipper Itoje, who also came off the bench, scored the final try.

Borthwick's side now play New Zealand next Saturday in their biggest challenge theoretically this fall.

Before this meeting, the English team had won eight of their 9 matches with Fiji – most recently taking 30-24 in the last eight of the 2023 World Cup.

Their sole loss came just weeks before the tournament in Europe and was a significant shift under Borthwick.

With the Pacific Islanders on a five-game streak – their joint longest run since the late nineties – the fixture was always expected to be hard-fought.

After slick phase play, back rower Cunningham-South made good ground before the hooker barged over for the opening score from short distance, with Ikanivere's try off the back of a maul adding a swift reply.

Nicknamed the Flying Fijians, that was evident in defence through powerful first-half midfield hits, with full-back Marcus Smith, deployed as a second playmaker, in especial targeted.

But it was the vintage Fijian attacking flair that was the highlight in the first forty as passes out of the tackle cut England's defence open for the fly-half to touch down.

Feyi-Waboso sharply finished a kick across the field by Smith to take England into the lead after he had been dangerously taken out in the air by Ravutaumada, who was awarded a yellow card following a video review.

The English team broke clear from the Wallabies the previous weekend in the final quarter through the strength of their bench that included six British and Irish Lions.

A significantly altered starting lineup from the victory over the Wallabies did score the next try as the prop went over following a powerful run by Lawrence, who was returning to the national side after tearing his Achilles tendon against Italy in March.

However, after a smart set piece was completed by Ikanivere, Borthwick unloaded five of his substitutes on the 54th minute – featuring Lions players Henry Pollock and Curry.

With the game still up for grabs, Fiji scrum-half Kuruvoli fumbled of the ball when reaching for the goal line to negate substitute the hooker's score.

Breakdown specialist Earl, a try-scorer versus the Wallabies, produced a spectacular try-saving tackle to keep a narrow lead between the sides.

It capped another all-round impressive performance by the flanker, who received back-to-back man of the match honors.

The substitute's speed to chase down a kick through demonstrated exactly why the English replacements is so influential.

It is packed with top players and quality, which has helped secure wins in the closing stages that were squandered versus the Wallabies and New Zealand last autumn.

Considering the Scottish side pushed the All Blacks hard, Borthwick's side will fancy their chances of sending a message this weekend.

Should they win, the bench will likely again be crucial.

England: M Smith; Freeman, Lawrence, Dingwall, Feyi-Waboso; F Smith, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Heyes, Coles, Chessum, Pepper, Earl, Cunningham-South

Replacements: George, Baxter, Opoku-Fordjour, Itoje, T Curry, Pollock, Spencer, Arundell

Fiji: Rayasi; Ravutaumada, Ravouvou, Tuisova, Wainiqolo; Muntz, Kuruvoli; Mawi, Ikanivere, Doge, Nasilasila, Mayanavanua, Sowakula, Canakaivata, Mata

Replacements: Togiatama, Hetet, Tawake, Vocevoce, Murray, Wye, Armstrong-Ravula, Maqala

Sin-bin: Ravutaumada

Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)

Assistant referee: Luc Ramos (France) and Katsuki Furuse (Japan)

Television match official: Mike Adamson (Scotland)